State of Emergency Declared in Britain Amid Serious Measles Outbreak Warning

Public Health England warned today, Friday, that the outbreak of measles in central England may spread to other cities and towns unless urgent actions are taken to increase vaccination uptake. The UK Health Security Agency has declared a national emergency, indicating rising risks to public health. It confirmed that there have been 216 confirmed cases and 103 suspected cases in the West Midlands since October 1 of last year, most of which are in children under 10 years old. Jenny Harris, the Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency, stated, "With the decrease in vaccination rates in some communities, the risk of the virus spreading in other cities and towns increases." A report from the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in November indicated a "staggering" annual increase in measles cases and deaths worldwide in 2022. The measles virus is one of the most infectious viruses in the world but can be prevented through two doses of the vaccine. Routine vaccination efforts have been significantly impacted globally due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and recovery in this regard has been slow.